This invention relates to the art of arranging articles on a conveyor and more particularly, it relates to apparatus for automatically orienting the paneled portions of a series of flasks in a given direction as they are in transit along a belt conveyor which extends from the glass manufacturing machine to the packing area.
In the manufacture of glass containers, freshly formed containers are subjected to an annealing cycle in which the thermal stresses set up in the glassware is relieved and after the annealing cycle are conveyed usually to an inspection area. After the inspection has taken place, the ware which is found to be acceptable is transported to an off-bearing area which it is usually packed for shipment. Frequently these shipments take place with the ware packed in a carton which has separators to prevent glass-to-glass contact during transport and frequently these cartons will be the ultimate shippers that are used by the user of the glass container in shipping the filled ware to the point of use. When manufacturing non-symmetric containers, such as for example flasks which have opposed concave and convex panels, it is desirable for purposes of efficiency of the overall manufacturing system to supply the containers to the off-bearing area in such a fashion that similar panels on adjacent containers are oriented in the identical direction. This particularly helps in the handling of the ware for purposes of packing the ware in the cartons. Manual reorientaton of the containers at this area merely slows down the actual packing operation and in those instances where mechanical packing machines are used it is imperative that the ware be oriented properly at its arrival at the packing machine.
In view of the foregoing, it is the object of this invention to provide a reliable and durable apparatus of simple construction for properly orienting similarly shaped paneled ware on an outgoing conveyor with the apparatus being automatically operated without the intervention of a human operator to effect the proper orientation.
A preferred embodiment of the invention is herein shown and described and includes a continuously traveling conveyor belt upon which containers which have dissimilar opposed panels are carried in line singly through a zone where the containers are separated from each other a small amount and then are permitted to pass in single line through the orienting device which in those cases where the ware is properly oriented will permit the ware to travel undisturbed through the orienting area. In the event the container arrives at the orienting position with its panels in the wrong directions then the container will be turned through an 180.degree. about its vertical axis while being transported downstream on the moving conveyor. The orientation of the container is carried out in those instances where the container requires turning by the movement of the container between a pair of rollers or wheels one of which is a live rubber wheel while the other, which is driven, is a wheel having a sponge rubber surface. When the container has a concave side facing the sponge rubber roller, it moves with the opposite live rubber roller which engages the concave side and the container generally turns away from the roller which has the sponge rubber side. The forwardly moving end of the container or flask will engage an oppositely driven live rubber roller which tends to move that forward end of the container in a rearward direction while the sponge rubber roller moves the container, at the opposite end, in a forward direction thus rotating the container about its vertical axis through approximately 180.degree. rotation to properly orient the container. After leaving the orientation area, the container is confined to a generally straight run area by engagement of the neck of the container with a pair of opposed neck guides.